Cover for service boxes and the like



May 19, 1925. 1,538,219

' S. SHANAHAN COVER FOR SERVICE BOXES AND THE IJIKE Fil d 1. 16,- 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 19, 1925. 1,538,219

s. SHANAHAN COVER FOR SERVICE BOXES AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11v YEN TORY fr 4 :5 My

' I flrramvs Patented May 19, 192.5.

UNITED STATES insane PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN SHANAHAN, OF CHARLESTON, R EST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR'O'F ONE-FQUR'IH TO J. B. PRAIRIE AND ONE-FOURTH TO J. B. CROWLEY, BOTH OF CHARLESTON,

WEST VIRGINIA.

COVER FOR SERVlICE BOXES AND THE LIKE,

Application filed. May is,

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN SHANAHAN, a citizen of the United Statesjof America, and resident of Charleston, county of Kan-awha, and State of West Virginia, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Covers for Service Boxes and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to service boxes, and more particularly to a casing and cover for water and gas service boxes, meter boxes, valve boxes, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a structurally improved form of cover for curb service boxes and similar enclosures. I

A further object is to provide a cover of the character mentioned which is adapted, without attention, to remain in serviceable, readily-operative condition throughout long periods of time.

In describing" the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the removable cover of a service box casing forming a part of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the same, partially broken;

Figure 3 is a bottom same with the spring removed;

*Figure t is a vertical section of theinvention, showing its application, said sec-' tion being taken substantially on line t--4, g-

Figure 5 ,is a section on line 5 5, Fig. 3;

Figure 6 is a detail View in bottom plan of the shiftable locking member and the operating cam; i v

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention designed as a top or cover for meter boxes, valve boxes and the like;

Figure 8 is an under side elevation of the modified form of removable cover shown in Fig. 7;

Figure 9 is a sectionon line 9-9, Fig. 8;

Figure 10 is a section of the invention on line 1010, Fig. 8; and

Figure 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the locking bolt in unlocked position.

Referring, first, to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive,

plan View of thehousing the usual valves of house-service water and gaslines. 1 Said cover has formed integral therewith and depending from its under face a pair of oppositely disposed vertical walls 4 which have their lower end portions connected or joined by a fiat horizontal member of panel 5. For weight reducing purposes said panel is preferably made of the apertured or skeleton-like form shown in, the drawlngs, but it may obviously be made .111 non-apertured panel form if deslred.

Formed on the cover 1 and located'between the walls a is a depending hollow boss 6 having a flatunder'face disposed at a level spaced from the panel 5 a distance suitable for the reception therebetween of. a longitudinally shiftable plate 17 which preferably has its lateral edge portions slidable in channelsor guideways provided therefor in the confronting inner faces of said walls 4-,. Said late 7 is provided. with a centrally located aperture 9 of approximately the conventional. form of a heart, the purpose of which will presentlybe described, and formed on one end, of said plateis a horizontally disposed locking bolt 10 which is adapted, in sliding'movements of said plate, to be shifted into and out of oneof two oppositely disposed sockets 11 pin, which has its body portion rotatable in a a hole 16 provided therefor in said boss, has its lower end portion projected through and rotatable in the panel 5 and is secured against chance withdrawal by a cotter pin 17 or other equivalent means which is dito an intermediate portion of said pin, as

upon a squared portion 19 thereof, is a cam 18 which lies within the heartshaped aper-' ture 9 of plate 7 and which, through rotation of said pin, effected by meansof a socket wrench or other suitable tool applied to the head 14, is adapted to effect forward shifting of the plate 7 for projecting the bolt 10 of the latter into the thereto-adjacent socket 11 of the casing 2 and to maintain said plate in its said forwardly thrust position. Depending lugs 20 and 21, respectively, carried by said bolts 10 and 12, are connected by a retractile coil spring 22 which tends normally to maintain the plate 7 in its retracted position, shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Obviously, for ward shifting of said plate is effected against the tension of the spring 22, and, when the cam is rotated from its said advancedposition, said spring acts to retract said plate to a position wherein its bolt 10 is wholly withdrawn from the adjacent socket 11.

Inthe modification illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive, a casing 2 having an internal top flange 23 is employed, the same being designed for receiving a cap or cover 1 in seated relation to supporting lugs 24.

' The bolt 12 of the structure shown in Figs.

1 to 6 is omitted and in place thereof a lug 25 is formed integral with said cover 1*, said lug being adapted to closely underlie the flange 23 of the casing 2 in a position diametricallyopposite a dependinglip 26 carried by said casing. slidable plate 7 is designed to be shifted into and out of closely underlying relation to said lip 26, as shown in Fig. 10, said bolt being adapted to cooperate with said lug- 25 for locking thecover in place. Except as described, the modified form of structure disclosed in Figs. 7 toll substantially corresponds throughout to that shown in Figs. 1 to 6 hereinbefore described. Said modified form is designed for use in covers of large size, as, for instance, tops for meter boxes and valve boxes.

In order to provide for accurate positioning of the cap 1 on the casing, the seat formed in the latter is of a non-circular form, and the cap is shaped to correspond thereto, as shown.

The parts of the structure, except the The bolt 10 of a.

slidable plate 7, are preferably made of cast iron, while said plate is preferably made of brass or other non-corrosive metal, thereby to reduce the liability of the movable parts to become inoperative from accumulation of rust.

What is claimed is 1. In a cover for curb boxes and the like, a casing having internal sockets in diametrically opposite sides thereof, a cap for seating upon said casing, a fixed support suspended from the under side of said cap, an apert-ured plate slidable upon said support, a lockingbolt formed on said plate and shiftable with movements of the latter into and out of one of said sockets, a fixed member carried by said support for seating within the opposite socket, resilient means normally holdin said plate retracted, a pin projected down ard through said cap and rotatable. in the latter, and a cam carried by said pin within the'ape-rture of said plate, said pin being adapted to be actuated by rotation of said pin to effect shifting move ment of said plate against the tension of said resilient means.

2. In a cover for curb boxes and the like a casing having internal sockets in diametrically opposite sides thereof, a cap for seating upon said casing, a fixedsupport suspended from the under side of said cap, opposite vertical walls depending from the under side of said cap, a horizontal member integral with and connecting the lower ends of said walls, a fixed bolt carried by-said member adapted to seat within one of said casing sockets, a depending boss formed on the cap, a plate slidable horizontally between said member and said boss a locking bolt carried by said plate at the side opposite said fixed bolt and adapted in the advanced position of said plateto seat in the opposite casing socket, resilient means nor mally holdingsaid plate in retracted position, a headed pin extending vertically through and rotatable in said boss, and a cam carried by said pin and rotatable therewith: whereby said plate is shifted to and from its advanced position.

In. testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture 1T1 presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEPHEN SHANAI-IAN. lVitnesses: i

J. B. CRO\VLEY,

J. P. PRAIRIE. 

